The Year 9 Odyssey Commencement Ceremony was held on Monday 6 March 2023 in the College Chapel. Mr Weston outlined the structure and framework of the Odyssey Program and explained the importance of why Aquinas runs this Male Rite of Passage. The key messages he spoke about were:

1. We clarify a boy’s purpose in growing into a Christian adult via our classroom lessons.
2. In the lessons we intentionally identify the risks of adulthood and focus on how boys can develop positive character traits required to mitigate these risks, enabling them to become confident and capable adults.
3. The Odyssey Program has high calibre teachers allocated as role models and mentors to teach, guide and train boys in readiness for adulthood.
4. Throughout the year we provide many practical opportunities away from the classroom for boys to step outside their comfort zone, this is what we call “growing beyond the edge”. By doing this we see exponential growth occurs in a boy’s emotional, spiritual and character development.
5. Being a year-long program provides a generous amount of time for boys to comprehend and self-reflect on their personal transition to adulthood.
6. We explicitly focus on developing in our boys the Character traits of perseverance, courage, teamwork, empathy, service, gratitude, leadership, spirituality, and wisdom.
7. Greater benefit to boys happens if collaboration between Aquinas and families occurs. Some helpful hints and strategies were supplied for parents to use at home in support of the Odyssey Program.